FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Methodist split a pair of USA South Athletic Conference softball games Saturday at Price Fields as the Monarchs defeated visiting William Peace, 3-2, in the first game before the Pacers took Game 2, 11-5.

Behind the wondrous pitching of Brittany Jones (six strikeouts and two runs allowed in a complete-game victory) and the thunderous bats of Taylor Bowen (three hits and an RBI) and Caitlyn Holland (two hits and an RBI), Methodist grabbed the win in the first game. It was Holland that scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final scores: Methodist def. William Peace, 3-2; William Peace def. Methodist, 11-5
Records: Methodist 7-19 (3-7 USA South); William Peace 8-16 (4-4)
Location: Price Field; Fayetteville, N.C.

GAME NOTES

• Tied 2-2 in the sixth inning of Game 1, Methodist moved ahead for good when Holland scored on a throwing error by William Peace. Holland found herself at second base after singling to right field, then recording a steal.
• Through the first two innings of Game 1, Methodist was leading 2-1. In the first inning, Taylor Bowen singled to score Taylor Jones. Jones led the game off with a single up the middle and she moved to second off of a Bethany Junker sacrifice bunt. Holland scored Liz Schmitz in the second inning with a single. The lead was short-lived as the Pacers tied the game with a run in the third.
• Trailing 6-0 in the fourth, Methodist finally got on the board by scoring two runs. The inning featured four consecutive, one-out singles coming from Bowen, Kaley Evans, Haley Potter, and Bri Caton. Caton and Sara Darling, who singled with two outs, were credited with an RBI. However, the Monarchs did miss out on a prime chance to score even more as the bases were left loaded.
• Methodist answered the Pacers' two runs in the fifth with three runs in the sixth, cutting the deficit to 8-5. The first five batters of the inning reached first base safely with Evans, Potter, and Holland singling and McKenzie Lanphear and Darling earning walks. Bethany Junker earned the RBI on the third run scored although the Monarchs left runners stranded on first and second.
• William Peace was on fire out the gates in the second game, scoring five runs off of four hits (all singles) and two errors in the first inning. The first six batters of the order reached first base safely. The Pacers ended the game on fire too, scoring three runs off of four hits and an error in the seventh as insurance.
• Kaley Evans and Haley Potter each had a team-high two hits in the second game. Potter scored twice and Evans once. Taylor Jones had a hit in each game and Holland and Sara Darling recorded a hit and a walk in Game 2.

UP NEXT

• The Monarchs will stay at Price Field when they host Southern Virginia University Tuesday, April 13 for a non-conference doubleheader at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
• William Peace will travel to Greensboro, N.C. for a non-conference game against Guilford College Wednesday, April 14 at 2:30 p.m.